Builder trying to place a downpipe on front elevation

De Silva · Jul 06, 2023 7:38 pm

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Hi all,

Our home in Rouse Hill NSW, is in frame completed stage.
Builder has just informed us that it is require to put a downpipe on the front elevation to manage the rain water. Please see their diagram and points below.
This was not on apporved/ signed plans.
What options do we have to get this relocated as this affects the asthetics of the proeprty.

The rainfall is collected in the first floor gutter and then dispersed through the downpipes at the front and rear of the first floor. The rear downpipe falls directly into the stormwater drain at ground level.
The front downpipe will drain onto the lower roof which will then fall into the garage gutter and disperse to the rear downpipe. One down pipe is not enough to service the volume of water coming from the lower roof. Consequently, the gutters will overflow, causing water to fall into your neighbours yard. You may also experience water pooling at the back of your garage.
To prevent this from happening, another downpipe is required to alleviate the water volume directed to the rear downpipe.
Considering the garage is on the boundary line, we cannot provide the additional downpipe to the side of the garage- this would be non-compliant. The only option is to connect the lower roof guttering to a downpipe on the front elevation.

chippy · Jul 06, 2023 9:03 pm

Makes sense. Many sets of plans have a note that downpipes and position many vary due to site conditions.
It's pretty common to have a down pipe on the boundary side of the garage door.
The only option would be to increase the size/capacity of the gutter along the boundary wall and have it drain into a rain head and then into the your stormwater.
Or run an internal downpipe inside the garage and box it out.

Unfortunately both options would have required prior planning.

De Silva · Jul 07, 2023 8:43 am

Thank you for your response.

building-expert · Jul 08, 2023 2:56 pm

Roof drainage design is part of the building design and is not affected by site conditions. There is no reason why all downpipe positions cannot be finalised for building approval. Why weren't your downpipes ahown on your approved plan?

De Silva · Jul 08, 2023 8:13 pm

Many thanks for your response.

Council approved the plan without recently proposed downpipe on the front garage wall in April. Builder is saying that there’s new regulation passed that makes the drainage design non-compliant according to NSW Plumbing code. To have the original downpipe from first floor gutter in its original location, they are saying the garage roof must be 60sqm or above.

First, I don’t understand how a new regulation (if that’s true) affects an already approved plan.

Second, we asked them why can’t they have an additional downpipe (3 instead of 2) from first floor and run it to the stormwater pit or terminate the downpipe in question straight to the stormwater pit instead of letting it disperse water on to garage roof. They are adamantly refusing to do either of them and pushing us for their proposal.

We are meeting them next Monday, so any information would be greatly appreciated.

chippy · Jul 09, 2023 10:27 am

Post a plan.

De Silva · Jul 09, 2023 10:27 pm

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